The War
by JasonMorganfan87
Summary: Eighty years after New Moon finds the vampire world in chaos. An army of vampires has decided to take on the Volturi. There leader is so ruthless that she give the Major a run for his money. What happens when the Cullens are finally forced to pick a side? What will they decide? More importantly, what will Major Whitlock decide? And what role does Bella play in all of this?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own twilight or any of its characters. **

**The War**

**Jasper's POV**

It had been eighty years since the family left Forks. Our lives were far from how they were back then. Our world was in utter chaos. In the last several years, a huge war had broken out between the Volturi and another group. It wasn't like the southern wars. This war affected the entire vampire world. All of us were being forced to make a choice. Those that didn't want to make a choice were forced to alienate themselves from the rest of the world.

That was where we were now. Our family had been forced into hiding so we weren't brought into the war. See Carlisle refused to fight. He always refused to fight. He didn't believe in war or killing. He was the ultimate pacifist. A fact that would no doubt be his undoing.

Personally, I had no aversion to fighting. In fact, I sort of missed it. I missed the excitement and trepidation of going into battle. I'd even given some thought as to the side I'd choose when we were forced to make that choice. And that day would come. There was no getting around it. The time would come where we would no longer be able to stay out of it.

Suddenly I was pulled from my thoughts by Alice's frantic voice. "Jasper!"

I immediately turned to see Alice in the doorway. "What is it, Alice?"

"We need to have a family meeting in the living room now!" Alice said urgently before running out.

I followed Alice out of the room and downstairs to the living room. The rest of the family was already there waiting. I took my seat next to Alice.

"Alright, Alice, you have the floor," Carlisle said. I felt the nervousness come off of him in waves. He knew what this was about. We all did really. There was only one thing it could be about.

"They found us. They're coming for us and they're going to make us take a side," Alice said.

I was not surprised in the least. As I said, I knew what it was about and I knew that we would eventually be forced to fight. About the only thing that surprised me was that it took them this long to find us.

Edward frowned as he stared at Alice for a moment. It was obvious that he was reading her mind. "It's the others, not the Volturi? I thought you couldn't see them."

"I usually can't. As you can see, I didn't see much. I just know they're coming for us," Alice said.

"So then now we make a choice and we fight," Emmett said. I could feel his sheer excitement. Emmett always loved a good fight.

"No, Emmett, we will not fight. We will not be a part of this war," Carlisle said.

"And how exactly to you plan to stay out of it? You heard what Alice said. They're coming for us," Rosalie said.

"They can't make us fight," Edward said.

I rolled my eyes at Edward's sheer stupidity. "I always knew you were thick, Edward, but are you really that naive? Of course they can make us fight. They can't make us fight for them, but they can certainly force us to choose a side. Did you really think you could stay out of it forever? That you could live your perfect little pacifist existence while our world is fighting the nastiest fight to ever exist?"

"Jasper, that's enough. As I said, we will not fight," Carlisle said with authority.

"Then you'll be killed," I said bluntly. These were soldiers we were talking about. If we refused to fight, it would be the same as joining the other side in their eyes. They would attack. If we didn't defend ourselves, we would die.

"We could go. We probably have enough time to get out of the area," Alice said.

"I will not run like a coward!" I growled. The actions, or rather inactions, I'd taken so far were enough to label me a coward. I hated that fact. I had only done it because Alice had begged me to. This was where I drew the line though. I would not run away from this confrontation. That was the second worst act of cowardice in my book. It came second only to flipping sides when things looked grim.

"So you would rather fight with these barbarians?" Edward asked in disgust.

I glared murderously at him. "Are you trying to say that all soldiers are barbarians?" I would seriously mess him up if he said that. I was very passionate about my time in war. Being a soldier was an honor. It was something to be respected, even if the war itself wasn't. I would not allow anyone to dishonor it.

"I'm sure that's not what he's saying, Jazzy?" Alice said.

I ignored her and continued to glare at Edward. "Let me ask you something. Do you think you would've lived the cozy little life you've had, human or vampire, if it weren't for the actions of the soldiers who fight in war? Because I can tell you right now you wouldn't. So if you ever call us barbarians again, I. Will. Kick. Your. Ass!"

"Jasper, please stop. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it," Esme said.

I kept glaring but didn't say anything else to Edward. I'd made my point. Now it was time to get back on topic. "I meant what I said. I will not run."

"They'd be able to find us anyway. They are vampires after all. We wouldn't make it far," Rosalie said.

"Perhaps we can reason with them. Get them to see that fighting isn't the answer," Carlisle said.

I rolled my eyes. "And perhaps you can get every vampire on the planet to stop drinking from humans. You're insane, Carlisle. If you had tried that crap with me and my men while I was in the Confederates or even in Maria's army, we would've laughed at you before launching a full-fledged attack against you. You're going to have to give up this pacifist crap before it gets you killed." With that, I got up and left the room. I'd had enough.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, we were all waiting anxiously for the inevitable to come. Carlisle was still refusing to fight. He was still talking about trying to talk the soldiers into peace. It was his funeral if he tried something like that.

The rest of the family, aside from Emmett, were reluctant to fight as well. I couldn't blame them. They'd lived very sheltered lives. The closest any of them had come to a real fight was when we destroyed James, and that was nothing.

Soon I heard a knock at the door. I left my study in a flash and was downstairs in about a blink of an eye. The rest of the family had gathered as well.

"I guess this is it," Alice said nervously.

"I'll get it. I'm best equipped to deal with them," I said before making my way to the door. When I opened it, I was left dumbstruck. There were five vampires there waiting and I recognized every single one of there. Peter and Charlotte were on either side of the door and two others that I knew from Carlisle were standing just before the porch.

It was the vampire in the center that held my attention though. It was a woman I never thought I would ever see again. And if I ever thought I would see her again, I never thought I would see blazing red eyes looking back at me or feel the sheer power radiating off of her.

"Hello, Major Whitlock," the familiar beauty said to me.

If I thought there was any chance it wasn't her before, it was gone the second she opened her mouth and spoke to me. I looked her right in the eyes and spoke almost inaudibly. "Bella."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The first part of this chapter takes place just before Bella goes to the Cullens'.**

**Bella's POV**

I sat in my office waiting. I'd sent Peter out to find the Cullens. I knew it wouldn't take him long. Peter was a decent tracker. Besides, they would be easy to find even if he wasn't. The Cullens' lifestyle made it easy to find. They preferred to live the life of luxury. That meant they would stick out more than your common nomad.

Truthfully, I could've found the Cullens years ago. I chose not to. It wasn't time then. I wanted to wait until the perfect moment to spring myself on them. I wanted my reputation to be firmly in place and I also wanted them to think they were safe for a while. It would make it that much more entertaining when I finally pulled the rug out from underneath of them. Was it a bit sadistic, maybe, but I was entitled to a little revenge after the crap they put me through. They should just count their blessings that they're not the Volturi because those bastards were going to fry.

I soon heard a knock on the door.

"Get in here, Peter," I ordered.

Peter came in grinning from ear to ear. "That was by far the easiest tracking I've ever done in my very long life."

"I'm not surprised. That's why you were only given such a short time to do it. Where are they?"

"They're in a small town in Maine, and of course they're in a mansion. You'd think they'd be smart enough to downgrade if they're gonna hide from us," Peter said.

"That would be smart, Peter. The Cullens aren't that smart," I said. Most of them weren't smart anyway.

"So then why do we want them again? I mean, the Major will obviously be a huge asset and the blonde and the brute might be good additions, but the rest of 'em are a bunch of pansies," Peter said. He had very strong views on the Cullens. He loved Jasper like a brother and he seemed to like Rosalie and Emmett too, but he really had no use for the others.

"Everyone gets a chance, Peter, everyone. Besides, I would love the opportunity to shove it in Aro's face that I snaked one of his former supporters away from him," I said with a smirk. It was no secret that I hated Aro's ass. I hated all of them, but a held a particular loathing for Aro. I would burn him to a crisp myself when the time came.

"Yeah, that's true. It would send his panties in a twist. And it's no secret he covets the pixie and mind reader. Lord knows why though. Sure, they're gifted, but they're spineless idiots," Peter said.

I chuckled. "Assemble a team. I want you, Char, Garrett, and Alistair. We leave tonight."

"You're gonna do this one personally?" Peter asked. I could tell he thought it was a bad idea.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Did you really think otherwise? You know how long I've waited for this. I am going to thoroughly enjoy it."

"Then at least bring more than one team. For all we know, the Volturi is watching the Cullens. You were close to them once. The Volturi could be waiting for you to make contact," Peter said.

I stared at him thoughtfully. He had a point. While I doubted that the Volturi would be lying in wait, I didn't make it to where I was by being stupid or careless. "Alright. Get another group together to follow us. Make it quick though. We leave within the hour."

Peter nodded and left the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

We made it to Maine the next day by sunup thanks to Peter's insane driving. As a human, I hated fast driving, but as a vampire, I wouldn't have it any other way. It was no longer dangerous to me, but even if it was, I doubted I would mind. I actually enjoyed dangerous situations now. That was probably pretty obvious since I was leading an army against the most powerful vampire coven in the world.

Peter pulled the car up to white mansion at the end of the street of a wealthy neighborhood and parked. "Here we are?"

I immediately sensed for the vampires in the house. I caught the scents of all seven of them. "They're all here. They were smart enough not to run. That's actually surprising."

"They didn't know we were coming, Ma'am," Garrett said.

"Oh, yes they did. I let my shield fall long enough for the pixie to get a vision. I didn't let it down far enough for her to know about me, but they got enough to know we were coming for them. And what did I tell you about that 'Ma'am' crap?" I asked. There were a select few in my army that had the right to call me by name while in private. Actually every one of those select few were in the car with me right now.

"Right, sorry, Bella," Garrett said.

"Why'd you let 'em see?" Peter asked curiously.

"Because I wanted to see if they'd be stupid enough to run," I said before getting out the car and going over to the car with our second team in it. I opened the driver's side door and spoke to the blonde vampire inside. "Surround the house. I don't expect trouble, but I didn't get to where I am by being careless."

"Yes, ma'am," he said before he and his team got out and sped off at vampire speed.

I went back to the car to find that everyone had gotten out. "Alright, you know the drill. Peter and Char in front and Garrett and Alistair get my flank."

They all nodded and took their positions.

I followed Peter and Char up the front door. They took their positions on opposite sides of the door. Peter then looked at me for the go ahead.

I nodded for him to go ahead and watched as he knocked on the door. I started grinning as soon as he did. I was going to take a lot of pleasure in seeing their shocked faces when the Cullens saw me and realized who I had become.

Jasper was the one to open the door. I had to admit I was glad for that fact. He was the one I wanted the most. Putting the fact that he was one of the few of the Cullens I didn't hate aside, he was the one most capable of helping me lead my army to victory. He was the God of War for goodness sake. I needed him.

Jasper looked positively flabbergasted by my presence. I couldn't really blame him. It had been eighty years. He probably thought I was dead. He was also expecting an army and didn't expect to see me with it.

I let my shield slip momentarily so that he would feel an extreme burst of power coming from me. I was going to make sure he knew exactly who I was and what my business was with the family.

"Hello, Major Whitlock," I said. I used his military title because for all intents and purposes, this was military business. He was entitled to have me use his title while addressing him.

"Bella," Jasper spoke so softly that if I had been human, I wouldn't have heard him.

I just smiled at him for a minute. "Are you going to invite us in, Major Whitlock?"

Looking very shocked and numb, Jasper stepped aside.

Peter and Char entered first as usual. I followed them and Garrett and Alistair followed me.

The Cullens were all standing around the room. They all looked about as shocked to see me as Jasper had been.

"Bella? Is that really you?" Alice asked.

"Is that question really necessary. You're well aware of who I am. You didn't forget me. We both know that is impossible," I told her.

"Who did this to you?" Edward asked with a growl.

Peter and Char were in front of me in seconds. A growl could be considered a threat in the vampire world. My people took possible threats to me very seriously.

"Stand down," I ordered. Even if Edward had been trying to threaten me, which he wasn't, the puny little coward was no threat.

Peter and Char stepped aside immediately.

The Cullens looked at me even more shocked. They were obviously not expecting me to be doling out orders or for them to be taken like they were.

"I believe you all know why I'm here," I said before looking at Alice. "I assume you got the little gift I sent your way."

Alice's eyes widened. "Y...you're with the vampire army fighting against the Volturi?"

"No, that can't be true. Love, please tell me Alice is wrong," Edward begged.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I will let that go this one time, Edward, but you will never address me in that fashion again if you are at all interested in keeping your limbs!"

"Bella, why would you involve yourself in this war? And why are your eyes red?" Carlisle asked in a disappointed tone.

"I would think that the latter would be pretty obvious. As for me involving myself in this war, I did not involve myself in it," I said before walking towards him and smirking at him. "This war is mine."

I heard the collection of gasps from around the room. I looked around at them all. Most looked shocked of course. Carlisle, Esme, Edward and Alice looked horrified. Emmett looked practically giddy, Rosalie just looked shocked, and Jasper had since gotten a hold of his shock to put on the best poker face I'd ever seen. He now looked indifferent. Oh, I knew he was far from that, but he knew how to hide his emotions when he had his wits about him.

"You're the one who started this war? Why Bella?" Esme asked.

"My reasons are mine. Just know that Aro and his group of tyrants are going down. They will be turned to ash in my wake, as will anyone who gets in my way," I said fiercely.

"No. You can't be doing this. You can't be a monster like them," Edward said with an eye on Jasper.

Okay, that pissed me off. To fight for a certain way of life was a way of showing honor to what you believed in and the people around you. I would be damned if I allowed Edward to disrespect that.

I flashed over to Edward and took his throat in my hands. I effortlessly lifted him off the ground. "Did you just call us monsters for fighting for a better way of life? Did you just disrespect your own brother for serving his country? How dare you?! I asked before throwing him clear across the room. He hit the wall, denting it in the process.

Carlisle and Esme immediately went to help him.

Emmett snickered. "Oh, Bella, I love you," he said before moving to come over to me.

Jasper immediately took his arm to stop him. It was a good thing he did too because my people would view it as a possible threat and take action. Jasper would know this well.

The others all regarded me with fear. Even Rosalie had a certain level of caution will looking at me. They'd seen firsthand what I could and would do and they were rightfully afraid.

"As you all are aware, we are at war. Eventually in war, everyone has to make a choice. You all are at that point now. It's time for you to make a choice. You're either with me or you're with the Volturi. There is no in between. There's no staying on the sidelines. If you try, I will consider your choice to be the Volturi. So make the choice before I make it for you," I said with authority. "You all have until I come back to choose. "Major Whitlock, walk with me?"

"No, Jazzy, don't!" Alice shrieked.

I growled lowly, causing the pixie to shrink back a bit. I then looked at Jasper for a response.

Jasper walked towards the door and opened it. He then motioned for me to lead the way.

"You four wait here," I instructed my team before walking out the door with Jasper.


	3. Chapter 3

**Peter's POV**

I watched Bella leave with the Major. I really wanted to ignore her orders and go with them. It wasn't that I thought Bella couldn't handle herself or that the Major wouldn't protect her if he had to. I was just very protective of Bella. She wasn't just a leader to me. I also thought of her as a sister. I had been with her since the beginning. I didn't want to see anything happen to her.

Being out in the open like this was dangerous for Bella. She had a price on her head and would continue to have it until we eliminated the Volturi once and for all. Of course the price went both ways. Any member of the Volturi that we found was to be killed on sight. Everyone but Aro. Bella wanted to take him for herself once we'd destroyed his empire.

Needless to say, Bella hated Aro's guts. She hated all the brothers, but she had it in for Aro most of all. I couldn't really blame her after what he did to her. He did a real number on her. Rather than break though, she captivated on her anger. She took hold of it and she used to start the mother of all wars.

When Bella first approached me about the idea of a war, I thought she was insane. I thought Aro really had broken her to the point of insanity. How else could she think about taking on the most powerful vampires in world? But she wasn't insane. She was just driven. She was driven to make sure the Volturi could never do to anyone else what they did to her.

I quickly forced those thoughts away. I didn't want to think about what the Volturi did to Bella. That would just make me want to kill someone. I was on the job and I needed to stay focused.

I looked over at the Cullens. They were regarding me and my comrades carefully, unsure of what to do at this point. I found their apprehension very satisfying. I hated most of the Cullens deeply. First they'd taken Jasper and tried to make into somebody he wasn't and then they'd left Bella alone to fall prey to Aro. I really hoped they made the wrong choice so I could send them up in flames, literally.

I watched as Carlisle approached Garrett and Alistair. "Garrett, Alistair, I don't understand. Why have the two of you involved yourselves in this? You never showed any interest in fighting the Volturi before?"

"First of all, Carlisle, this is no choosing to get involved. We are all involved. Our leader said it well; there is no standing on the side lines. But for what it's worth, we weren't that opposed to the fight. I have always believed the Volturi needed to be stopped. I was simply waiting for the right person to do it," Alistair said.

It was true. Alistair had admitted to wanting the Volturi gone. He just wasn't willing to do it himself or fight for someone who he believed didn't have a prayer of winning. He finally agreed to fight when he realized just how powerful and ruthless Bella could be.

"You're wasting time, Cullen. I believe you have a choice to make," I told him.

Carlisle sighed and went back to his family. They all began speaking in low voices, as if that could stop us from hearing them.

"It's pretty clear now that we have to fight. I say bring it on," Emmett said with quite a bit of enthusiasm.

"I've already said we will not be fighting," Carlisle said firmly.

"No, you don't get to make this decision for all of us. Our lives are in jeopardy here," Rosalie said seriously.

"Do not be dramatic, Rosalie. Bella would never hurt us." Edward said.

I shook my head when I heard that. This little boy was delusional. He still thought Bella was that same girl he left alone in the forest the better part of a century ago. He was crazy. Bella had changed so much since then. In fact, I still found it hard to believe that girl he left even existed.

"Edward, I would ask if maybe you lost some brain cells when Bella threw you into that wall, but that would mean you had brain cells to begin with. Did you really not see her just now? She's not that naive little human you could order around eighty years ago. She's a warrior. She's somebody that you don't want to cross," Rosalie said.

"No. I refuse to believe that Bella is unreachable. I will make her see reason. I will make her see that she needs to end this war with Aro," Carlisle said.

I stared at the doctor in disbelief before looking at my wife in a 'Is he for real?' fashion.

Char shook her head at me as if to tell me not to go there.

I just shook my head. If the good doctor wanted to make a fool out of himself, so be it.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

**Jasper's POV**

I followed Bella out of the house and towards her car. To say that I was shocked that Bella was the feared leader of the army going after Aro was an understatement. I never thought for a second Bella could be in such a position. I wouldn't have considered it even if I had known she was a vampire. It just wouldn't have seemed possible. The human girl we'd met all those years ago could never be a leader. She had followed Edward around everywhere and let him control every move she made

This Bella though was different. She was in charge. She gave orders and made threats better than any general I'd come across. No one led her around, no one manipulated her, and anyone who betrayed her had better run for their lives. If I hadn't known any better, I would've said they were two different people.

Once we reached Bella's car, she turned around to face me. "Thank you for joining me, Major Whitlock. I wanted to speak with you away from the rest."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked. The only thing Bella had called me since she got here was 'Major Whitlock'. No one but Peter had referred to me in that fashion for years.

Bella looked me dead in the eye. "Because it's your title and if I'm here on military business, you deserve for me to give you the respect you're due."

"Well, I appreciate that, Bella, but if it's all the same to you, I'd like you to call me Jasper," I told her. I was blown away by the honor she was giving me, especially since I felt like I didn't really deserve it after hiding away for so long, but for some reason, I just didn't want her greeting me so formally. I wanted her to use my name.

"Alright, if that's what you want, Jasper," Bella said.

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Bella, I've wanted to tell you for so long..."

"Don't! I don't wanna hear how sorry you are. I have never blamed you and I won't listen to you blame yourself! You will stop that immediately!" Bella said in a tone that I was sure she must use around her soldiers.

I cracked a smile. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Alright, let's get down to business. I think you know why I asked you out here," Bella said.

I gave her a curt nod. "You want me. This isn't about them. You'll take 'em, but it's me you want."

"Yes. You're the best warrior out there. I need you. The question is are you ready to stop catering to the Cullens and go back to who you really are?" Bella asked.

I winced. She hit a nerve with that one. I couldn't really fault her though. She was right. I'd turned into a different person since joining the Cullen family with Alice. I let all of them change into something I never was and never wanted to be. The person I used to be never would've considered hiding out while a war was going on. True I never actually ran, but I certainly sat on the sidelines. That wasn't who I was. I was a soldier. I took war head on. That was until I met the Cullens. "Well, you certainly know where to strike."

Bella shrugged. There wasn't a trace of remorse on her face.

"Why are you doing this, Bella? You must have a reason for taking on the Volturi. You didn't just wake up one day and decide to start a war," I said. I knew something had happened there. Something terrible had happened to make Bella become so hard and ruthless. I wanted to know what that thing was.

Bella was able to keep her face completely passive. "You're right, I didn't. I may tell you why one day, but not now. I'm here on business. So are you with me or not?"

"Before I answer that, let me ask you something. What would happen if I said no? What will happen when some of the others do? Will you kill them?" I asked. I had already made my decision. I'd made it before Bella even showed up. Her answer wouldn't change anything. I just wondered what she would do.

"Would you have?" Bella asked before going to go back inside. "Come on, you can give me your answer with the others."

I just stood there for a minute and watched her. "I guess that's a yes."


	4. Chapter 4

**Bella's POV**

I walked back into the house to speak to the Cullens. Jasper had taken a minute, but I soon felt his presence behind me.

Peter approached me as soon as I entered the house. "They ventured into the living room a few minutes ago."

I nodded and beckoned for them all to follow me. We went into the living room where the Cullens were all seated on the large sectional couch. They all looked on edge.

I couldn't help but smirk at their discomfort. I didn't normally take pleasure in others misery, but in this case, I felt I deserved it. These people had put me through hell and they'd paved the road for those bastards who called themselves kings to do the same. So, yes I felt justified in the pleasure I got form intimidating them.

I walked into the center of the room to make sure I had everyone's attention. "Alright, Cullen family, time's up. Make a choice and make it now."

Carlisle stood up from the couch and made a move to approach me, causing my soldiers to growl and move towards him.

I held my hand up to them telling that I was fine and didn't want them to interfere.

Carlisle still seemed to be intimidated, so he stopped trying to come towards me. "Bella, you have to stop this. I don't know what happened between you and the Volturi, but you must end it. There are better ways to solve problems."

I spent a few seconds just staring at him. I wondered for a second if he had really just said that crap to me or if I was imagining it. Because really, who was naïve enough to believe that that line of bull would work on me? Either Carlisle was really, really stupid or he thought I was really, really stupid.

Once the surprise of what Carlisle had said to me wore off and the sheer ridiculousness of it sunk in, I started laughing my ass off. "Really, Carlisle? You want me and Aro to sit down and discuss our differences over tea. I don't remember you being that stupid before. Then again, I was pretty stupid and naïve as a human, so that's probably why I don't remember."

"Bella, please. Please don't do this. Carlisle's right, there's gotta be a better way," Esme said.

"If this is your way of stalling, I suggest you give it up. All it will do is piss me off. You don't wanna see that. Make. A. Choice. Now," I ordered in hard voice. I got a good laugh at Carlisle's stupidity, but enough was enough. This entire thing was wasting time that could be spent on the destruction of the Volturi.

"We don't want to fight," Esme said.

"Okay, I didn't want to have to put it this way. I was hoping you'd all get it for yourselves, but it seems you're a bit slow. So let me spell it out for you. Either you fight or you die! Is that clearer for everyone? Jasper, make a choice," I ordered.

"My decision was made before you got here. I have no problem fighting a war and I've thought for a while now that the Volturi needed taken care of. You have me," Jasper said.

I nodded and turned to Emmett. "Emmett."

"You know I love a good fight, and I'd never fight against you, Bella. I'm in," Emmett said with a smile.

"If Emmett's in, so am I. I can't really say I want to fight, but I go where Emmett goes. Besides, I know you mean it when you say you'll kill us and I'm not too keen on that," Rosalie said. Leave it her to find sarcasm even when she's being threatened.

I shifted my gaze to Alice who looked absolutely terrified. It was actually a little more than the situation called for. True I threatened her life, but this seemed like more than that. I didn't know what it was, but I just got the feeling something more was going on with her.

I shrugged off those thoughts. It wasn't important right now. If Alice joined the fight, I would have plenty of time to figure out if she was hiding something from me. If she didn't, it really wouldn't matter for long. Right now, I just needed to finish this up. "I'm waiting, Alice."

Alice shuddered and then glanced at the door

I took a step towards her and looked her right in the eye. "It would be a very stupid move."

Alice looked at me again with nothing but fear in her eyes and then ran out in full vampire speed.

I sighed. "Alistair, find her. Find her and detain her. Do nothing else." Normally I would probably let him or someone else destroy her, but I detested cowards. Refusing to fight is one thing. It would still end in death, but to a certain point I could respect it. Running was another thing entirely. I hated it. Alice was going to get my personal attention for that.

"Yes, Ma'am," Alistair said before running out after Alice.

I decided to continue with the rest of the family. "Edward, your decision."

"You're not really gonna hurt Alice, are you?" Edward asked.

"I'd be more worried about your own fate than that of your sister's if I were you, Edward. If you don't make a decision soon, your fate doesn't look good," I told him. He was trying my patience. I was already pissed enough that Alice had had the nerve to try to run from me. I wasn't in the mood for anymore crap.

"Bella, please, this isn't you. These human drinkers are obviously a bad influence. Come back to us and we'll make everything better again," Edward said.

"Peter, Garrett," I called.

Both men went over and pulled Edward up by the arms. Peter then grabbed Edward's head while Garrett held him.

"Oh my God!" Esme yelled.

Carlisle went to try to stop Peter and Garrett, but Jasper got involved and roughly pushed Carlisle away, causing him to fly across the room. He was already fighting for me and my cause.

"No, stop! Bella, please!" Edward begged. He obviously didn't think I'd really go through with it until right now. He finally realized that I was serious about killing him if I had to.

"I'm through playing games with you, Edward. Make your choice or it gets made for you. You have five seconds," I told him. I was done with him now. He'd tried my last patient.

"Okay! Okay, I'll fight!" Edward said immediately with fear in his voice.

I waited a minute and then then motioned for Peter and Garrett to let him go.

Peter had a slight scowl on his face. He was looking forward to destroying Edward. I wasn't surprised by it. Peter was very protective of me and he took it personally when someone hurt me. Needless to say, he had a grudge against Edward.

"Esme," I said.

Esme looked over at Edward and shuddered. She clearly had Edward nearly dying just a moment ago on her mind. "O…okay. I'll join."

"Esme!" Carlisle exclaimed. He'd since picked himself off the floor and was now standing against the wall cornered by Jasper.

"Carlisle, she was going to have Edward killed! If she can kill him after everything they've been through, she can kill any of us. I don't want to die and I don't want you to die! Please! We have to do this! Please!" Esme begged.

Carlisle turned to me with sadness and anger in his eyes. "You're really going to do this to us? You're really going to force us into a war we don't want to be a part of?"

"I really am," I said without a trace of remorse in my voice.

"Why? Why would you want warriors who don't want to fight?" Carlisle asked.

"Carlisle, my patience is gone. If I have to call Peter ad Garrett over to you, you're not going to get another chance at the last second," I warned him.

"Carlisle, please," Esme begged.

Carlisle looked at her. He looked pained from the pain and fear in her eyes. He was clearly feeling their connection as mates. "It goes against everything I believe, but alright. I'll do it for you, dear."

Esme breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Just then my phone buzzed. I took it out and saw that I had a text. It was from Alistair. He'd found Alice in the forest not too far from here. "Char, you're with me. Alistair has the pixie cornered.

Char looked at me with a slightly evil glint in her eyes started out of the room. Did I mention that Char hated Alice's guts?

I was about to follow Char, but I decided to go over to Jasper first. I knew this was going to affect him a lot. A part of me even wished I didn't have to do this so that he wouldn't be hurt, but Alice ran from me. That was not something that I could let go. "I'll make it quick."

Jasper nodded curtly and then looked away.

I stood there for a moment staring at him and then walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Bella's POV**

Char and I walked deep into the forest where Alistair was holding Alice. He had her pressed against a tree face first while she struggled hard to get away from him. You could hear the tree breaking from the amount of force applied.

I immediately approached them. "Turn her around, Alistair. I want her looking at me."

Alistair immediately pulled her away from the tree and twirled her around so that she was facing me.

Alice looked to the sides and to the ground, anywhere so that she didn't have to look at me.

I wasn't having that. I grabbed her roughly by the chin, forcing her to look at me and me alone. Her eyes were filled with nothing but sheer terror. After what she pulled, it was justified. "How stupid are you? Did you really think you could outrun me? The only thing you managed to do is piss me off. If there's one thing I hate, it's a God damned coward!" I growled before pulling her away from Alistair and pushing her away from me with all my strength, causing her to land several feet away from me.

I flashed over to her just as she was starting to get up. I immediately pushed her back down and knelt beside her. "You know, if you had just said no, I could've respected that in a way. You still would've died, but at least, but at least there would've been some honor in it. By running, you took the coward's way out, not to mention forcing me to chase you which I don't appreciate."

Alice shuddered, but otherwise remained still and silent.

"You know, I don't understand it. I warned you that saying no to me meant death. I even warned you not to run convoluted definition of the word," I told her.

"We were trying to protect you. Edward didn't want you to get hurt

"From me. I know you knew I was serious because I could see how afraid you were of me. So why didn't you just agree to fight? Yes, there was a very real possibility that you would be killed, but at least you would've had a chance. Instead, you signed your death certificate," I told her.

"No, Bella, Please! We were friends once. Please don't do this," she begged.

I let out a low growl. "Friend? You dare call yourself my friend? You and your family left me alone and in danger. Your bastard brother abandoned me in the God damned woods! If that's your idea of a friend, you have a very convoluted definition of the word. Reminding me about that time isn't going to save you. It's just going to make me want to kill you more. Now get up." I grabbed her by the throat and forced her to her feet. I then spun her around so she was faced away from me and grabbed ahold of her head.

"No, please! I'll do it! I'll fight!" Alice yelled.

"Sorry, too late. You had your chance and you threw it away when you ran. I won't have a coward in my ranks," I said before I began to twist her head.

"No, don't! Jasper will never forgive you!" Alice yelled.

I stopped and growled. It pissed me off beyond words that she would use Jasper to get to me. It pissed me off because I was already wrestling with how much this could hurt Jasper. The thought of hurting him was actually physically painful. The only thing that allowed me to do this was that I knew he understood. He knew very well that war came with sacrifices. Also, I knew Alice wasn't his mate. He couldn't let me kill her if he was.

Suddenly something hit me. I was surprised by how I felt. It was weird to me that I felt so strongly for Jasper. And if I didn't know I'd feel this way, how the hell could Alice?

I immediately swung Alice around again and fixed her with a withering look. "What makes you think I need Jasper's forgiveness?"

Alice's face took on a deer caught in the headlights kind of look. She'd realized what she said and she knew she was in trouble. "I…I meant Edward.

I tightened my grip around her throat. "Don't lie to me! You said exactly what you meant! So tell me, Alice, why do you think I care Jasper thinks?"

Alice didn't speak. She just looked at me in terror.

"You're really trying my patience right now. You're dead no matter what you say right now, but I can draw it or I can make it quick," I told her with an icy glare. I'd promised Jasper that I'd make it quick and it pained me to possibly break that promise, but I was going to find out what Alice was hiding.

Alice shuddered. "Okay. Please, just try to understand. I didn't want to lose him."

"Say it!" I demanded.

"H…he's your mate. Jasper's your mate," Alice told me.

To say that I was shocked was an understatement. I wasn't sure why I was shocked though. I'd never known a mate's bond, but I'd heard about what it meant and even seen the connection with Peter and Char. I'd never thought that my mate would be Jasper though. When I thought about it, it made sense though. Jasper was the one person I didn't want to intimidate. When I asked him to be my soldier, it had felt wrong. I wanted and needed him with me, but not as my soldier. I wanted him to be my partner.

I forced all thoughts of Jasper and how I felt for him aside for a moment. I needed answers from Alice first. "And how long have you known this?"

Alice gulped, telling me it had been a while. "Since before you met Edward."

I let out a hiss of anger. Alice knew the entire time that Jasper was my mate. She knew and she kept it to herself. In the vampire world, that was the worst crime you could commit. It was worse than exposing us. Withholding one's mate was serous. Its punishment was worse than death.

I angrily pushed Alice away and let her fall to the ground. "Charlotte!"

Char was by my side in seconds. "Yes."

"Get Peter on the phone now! I want the Cullens brought here," I said before kneeling down next to Alice once more and giving her a cold look. "Congratulations. Your execution is about to become public. And if he knew about it, your loving brother will be joining you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Jasper's POV**

I sat on the couch in the living room while the others went to pack. I had no need to pack. I'd done all that the night before. It was like I told Bella. I'd made my decision before she showed up. I didn't need to be intimidated into this. I wanted to fight. When I found out who I was fighting for, I wanted it even more, though for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why.

So instead, I sat and thought about what was happening with Alice. My feelings on the subject didn't make sense to me. I didn't really want her to die, but the thought of it wasn't a devastating one either. That alone told me she wasn't my mate. If she were, I would've fought Bella tooth and nail. I would've fought her to the death before I allowed her to kill my mate. But I didn't. I understood why Bella was going to kill Alice. In our world, the world of war, it was necessary. You don't allow a coward to walk among the living, especially when they're capable of betraying you, which Alice was. If the offer was good enough, I could see Alice turning to Aro.

I was pulled from my thoughts as I noticed Peter enter the room. "Finally get up the balls to come talk to me?" I asked with a smirk.

Peter grinned. "Couldn't before. On duty."

"And you're not now?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow

"Sure I am, but you're one of us now. Welcome back to the action, Major," Peter said.

"How'd you get involved in this, Peter? How did you even meet Bella?" I asked. I doubted that it was through the army. Oh, I had no trouble believing Peter would sign up for this fight without it being forced on him, but it seemed to be more than duty with Bella. I'd felt his emotions towards her, especially when she and I walked outside. He was nervous and worried about her.

"It's a long story, Major, and connected to hers. You're going to have to ask her. I won't tell you about it," Peter said firmly.

Normally I would've kicked his ass for refusing to answer me, but I had to remember that Peter answered to someone else now. Also, I respected Bella's privacy enough to wait for her to tell me. I knew that something seriously bad had happened to her at the hands of the Volturi for her to start this war and I would wait until she was ready to tell me about it.

"I will say this though. She's more than a leader. She's been as much a sister to me and Char as you have been our brother. That's why I was really looking forward to taking Emo boy's head off. Nice work flinging the doc away, by the way," Peter said with a smirk.

"Yeah, well, it was partly selfish. I've been wanting to see Edward's head severed for some time now," I told him. Edward had been seriously pissing me off for a while now. I was so sick of him and his holier than thou attitude. Needless to say, I'd been just a bit giddy when Bella got rough with him and then Peter and Garrett went to take his head off.

Just then, Emmett and Rose came in, followed by the others. "Hey, Jazz, we got your bags from your study. They're waiting by the door."

"Thanks, Em," I told him.

At that moment, Peter's phone began to go off. He immediately took it off and looked at the text he was sent. "Oh, damn."

I immediately stood up. "What is it?"

"It's Char. Bella wants us in the forest. She wants you guys there when she kills the pixie," Peter said.

I frowned. That didn't make sense to me. Bella had promised me that she would kill Alice quickly. She seemed to want to make any pain I might feel from this as dull as possible, though I wasn't sure why that was, so why would she want me to actually watch her die. That sort of defeated the purpose, didn't it?

"Alright, folks, let's go," Peter said.

Edward glared at him. "We don't answer to you, mongrel!"

"Actually, you do, little boy. I'm the boss lady's right hand. That means when she's not here, I'm in charge. And since you agreed to be her soldier, you damn well do answer to me. Now move your ass!" Peter ordered.

Edward went to protest, but he didn't have the chance. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and hauled him out of the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

We all followed Peter into the forest. Or in Edward's case, I dragged him. He insisted on putting up a fight the entire way. It was everything I had in me not to rip his legs off so he couldn't fight any longer.

We made it deep into the forest before we found Bell, Char, Alistair, and Alice. When we got there, Alice was on the ground being held down by Alistair's foot. Bella and Char were a few feet away from them.

Bella was pissed. I couldn't feel her emotions often because it seemed I could only feel them if she let me, but the look on her face was murderous. I wasn't sure what happened, but it was enough to make her crazed.

Peter swore under his breath. "Okay, she's pissed. Everyone form a line and for the love of God, don't speak unless she tells you to."

I was in line next to Peter before he could even finish speaking and I dragged Edward with me. I knew the drill. I knew very well how to act when you were presenting yourself to your leader.

The others followed suit after me. Most of them were feeling a bit nervous and very, very afraid.

Bella stalked towards us with a deadly look in her eyes. "No one speaks!" she growled before grabbing Edward hard by the back of the neck, causing him to yell out in pain. She pushed his head downward and applied enough pressure to a make his knees buckle slightly.

I knew exactly what she was doing. I had done it many times myself in Maria's army and it was also common practice in most covens. She was forcing him to his knees in a submissive stance.

Edward continued to groan in pain and struggle to keep himself upright. I wasn't surprised by his struggling. Edward had lived a very sheltered life as a vampire. He had no idea how to act in our world outside of Carlisle. He was going to have to learn the hard way.

"Bella, please don't…" Carlisle started only to be stopped by a low growl from Bella.

After a good few minutes of struggling, Edward finally fell to his knees.

Bella released some of the pressure she was applying, but continued to keep a firm grip on the back of his neck. She bent down a little so that they were eye to eye. "Listen to me very carefully, Edward because I'm not going to repeat myself. I'm going to ask you a question and if you know what's good for you, you will answer truthfully. Did you in any way knowingly aid Alice in keeping me from my mate?"

I gasped in horror, as did many others. That was a serious accusation. A vampire who withheld another's mate faced being tortured to death. The mating relationship was almost sacred. There was no greater connection in our world. Interfering with it was considered the highest crime our kind could commit

What I didn't understand was why Alice would do such a thing. What motive could she have to keep Bella from her mate? Did she really want her to be her sister so badly that she'd been willing to risk her existence for it and send Bella into a lifetime of misery?

Meanwhile, Edward was so terrified that he couldn't even bring himself to speak and it seemed to be pissing Bella off even more. "Speak!" she screamed.

"N…no. I didn't," Edward said shakily.

Bella tightened her grip on his neck. "Do not lie to me Edward. It won't end well for you. If you confess now, I'll make your death quick, but if you lie, I will make what I'm about to do to Alice seem like a love tap!"

"I'm not lying, I swear. S…she told me we were mates. She said she saw us together," Edward said as fast as he could. He seemed to realize just how much danger he was in right now.

Bella stared at him for a few minutes. She seemed to be trying to figure out if he was lying or not. After a minute, she released his grip on him. "Stand up."

Edward immediately got to his feet and started rubbing the back of his neck.

"You better be telling me the truth, Edward. If I find out you've lied tonight, you'll be wishing I let Peter and Garrett kill you earlier. Do you understand me?"

"Y…yes," he stuttered.

Bella walked over to Alice and grabbed her by the hair. "Get up!" she said before forcing her to her feet and dragging her over to me. "Tell him!"

I looked between them in confusion. What could Alice have to tell me? This was all about Bella and her mate being kept a part. What could that have to do with me? Unless… No, that wasn't possible. Bella, couldn't be my mate, could she? It would answer the why for Alice hiding Bella's mate and would explain why I had so many weird feelings when it came to Bella, but Alice wouldn't do that, would she. She wouldn't really withhold my mate from me. If nothing else she had to know it would be suicide to do it. She had to know that I'd make her burn for it.

Alice looked conflicted. She looked between me and Bella as if she was trying to decide which one of us she should fear more.

I growled at her. Her silence was pissing me off. "Alice, if you have something to say, do it now."

Alice trembled. "I…I'm sorry, Jazzy. I just didn't want to lose you."

I grabbed her by the throat and glared murderously at her. "Say. It."

"I…I'm not your mate. Bella is."


	7. Chapter 7

**Jasper's POV**

I felt different emotions after hearing Alice's admission. I was surprised, but not nearly as much as I should be, and after thinking about it, it made a lot of sense. Bella was made for me in a lot ways. Certainly more than Alice could ever be. Oh, as a human, Bella had been miles away from me, but she was eighteen and hadn't seen much of the world. Now she was a warrior. She was someone who would do what she had to, no matter how ruthless, to get the job done. Not only did I get that, but I was turned on by it. She was perfect for me.

I also felt anger, mostly at Alice. This wasn't just something that Alice had just figured out. She knew for a while now that Bella was my mate and not her. I would know that even if Bella hadn't accused her of it herself.

I momentarily felt the emotions from everyone else in the room. Well, everyone I could feel. I couldn't seem to feel Peter, Char, Garrett, or Alistair while Bella was around. I felt the Cullens' though. Carlisle and Esme were shocked and slightly appalled. Emmett and Rosalie were angry on my behalf and Bella's. Edward felt betrayed. No doubt he was thinking about how she'd used him for her own agenda.

I did my best to put all their emotions out of my mind. I had my own emotions to deal with, most dominant being the desire inflict the worst pain I could imagine on my wife. I still had a firm grip on her throat and I squeezed harder. If she were human, she would surely be dead by now. As it was, I knew she was feeling an intense amount of pain. I found that satisfied me. "How. Long?"

Alice didn't speak. She just cried out in pain and tried to escape my grasp. Unfortunately for her, I was much stronger than her and Bella was also holding her tightly. She was going nowhere.

I tightened my grip even further to 'persuade' her to answer me.

"Son, please stop. You're hurting her," Carlisle said. As if I didn't already know that.

"I'm aware of that, Carlisle," I said without a shred of remorse. "You'd do well to answer me, Alice. If you don't, you'll learn firsthand just why they call me the God of War."

I heard a low snicker from one of the others. I knew immediately that it was Peter. He was enjoying this. I wasn't surprised. He'd always hated Alice. He never believed she was my mate. I was going to hear about for at least a week when this was finally over.

Alice finally decided to be smart and answer me. "I...I h...had a vision of it a week before s...she moved to F...Forks. Y...you would meet her b...before sc...school even started and bond with her."

"And you decided to change it?" I asked in deadly quiet voice.

"I...I had to. I couldn't lose you. I m...made sure you stuck close to the h...house the day she came and then I t...told E...Edward Bella was his mate. I t...told him he should k...keep her away from you because of your poor control," Alice said.

Bella tugged on Alice's hair, causing her to scream out. "Because you knew that if he got close enough to me, he would feel the pull."

"Y...yes," Alice squeaked out.

"Talk about her birthday. I want to know what really happened that night," I told her. I had a feeling everything was not as they seemed. In fact, I knew they weren't. I might not know much about mates, my believing that Alice could possibly be my mate was proof of that, but I did know some things. I could never lust after my mate's blood. Lust after her, yes, but not her blood.

Bella snarled as she came to the same conclusion I had. She must not have had time to think about it until now.

"Answer me, Alice!" I bellowed when she didn't answer fast enough.

"I...I had to make it so we would leave. If we d...didn't, I...I saw you getting close to her. I saw you bonding like you would've earlier if I didn't prevent it. I...I tried to forget about it and p...planned her party like I was going to all along. Then the f...future changed. I...I saw Bella cutting her finger. I...in my vision, everyone in the family lusted for her blood except you and Carlisle. Edward was about to push her into a table, but you were closer in my vision. You p...pulled her out of the way. I...I knew I had to change it, so I made sure you were too far away to do anything in time. When Edward pushed Bella into the table, you felt his blood lust and everyone else's. None of it was yours," Alice explained.

I growled loudly before pulling Alice out of Bella's grip and flinging her through the air. I was more angry than I'd ever been in my life. Screwing with me was one thing, but Alice had screwed with my mate. She'd caused her pain. I still didn't know what had happened to Bella at the hands of the Volturi, but I did know that it was because of Alice. If I had been there to protect her, the Volturi never would've had the chance to touch Bella.

Bella snarled and immediately started after Alice.

I gently took my mate by the arm, causing her to turn to me. "Together."

Bella looked at me for a minute and then nodded. "Peter, start a fire."

"My freakin' pleasure," Peter said with an evil smile on his face.

Bella and I immediately started after Alice, who was a few feet away backing away from us. I grabbed her by the ankle, pulling her towards me and bent down beside her. "I hope it was worth it, Alice. I hope eighty more years with someone who could never truly love you was worth dyin' for."

"Jasper, son, please! I'm begging you, don't do this," Carlisle begged.

I ignored him. If he thought I was going to spare Alice because of his pleadings, he was more delusional than I thought. Alice was getting no mercy from me. She'd harmed my mate. Worse than that though, she'd set me up to harm her. For that she would face the most painful death that I could give her.

And a painful death she had received. Bella and I literally tore her limb from limb and made her watch as they burned to a crisp, and we did it slowly so that she could lay there in agony for as long as possible. Then I ripped her head off and threw it in the fire along with her torso. I then watched in satisfaction as the creature that caused my mate and me pain slowly disintegrated into ash.


	8. Chapter 8

**Jasper's POV**

After finishing up in the woods, we all went back to the house to pick up our things. Not much was said between us. Almost everyone was in a state of shock after what had happened. No one had expected Bella and I to be mates, including us, and most of the Cullens had been shocked by mine and Bella's actions in regards to Alice.

I could feel disappointment and a bit of resentment, mostly from Carlisle and a bit from Esme. I also got a mixture of disgust and satisfaction from Edward. He seemed to be wrestling with himself. He had always considered the things I could and would do to be monstrous, but he also felt betrayed by Alice.

I wasn't surprised by any of it, but if any of them thought I was going to apologize for it, they were out of their minds. I exacted justice for myself and my mate, as was the law. Alice brought it on herself by messing with us.

We all grabbed our things and met by Bella's car. Peter approached Bella. "I sent the first team on their way. If the Volturi was around, they would've attacked by now. We're going to need more than one car to transport everyone out of here.

"I can fit five in my car. That should be enough," I said. Bella had a van with her, so she could fit at least six. I could take the rest.

"Would you be willing to let Garrett drive it? I would prefer you come with us," Bella said.

I smiled at her. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Darlin'." I wanted Bella with me. I didn't feel any more comfortable than she did being separated from her for even a few hours. We had been separated long enough.

Bella smiled back at me for a moment and then turned to the others. "Alright, listen up, this is how it's going to go. Peter, Char, Alistair, Edward, and Jasper will be riding with me. The rest of you will ride in Jasper's car with Garrett."

I immediately reached into my pocket and took out my keys. I tossed them to Garrett. "It's the black mustang. Scratch it and I will kill you."

Garrett nodded and immediately headed for the garage.

"Alright, let's go. Peter, give me the keys. I'm driving," Bella told him.

Peter immediately handed over the keys and got in back.

Bella got into the driver's seat. I followed suit by getting into the passenger side. "Let's make it fast, Darlin'. I feel like cruising."

Bella smiled at me and stomped down on the gas pedal, causing the car to screech as it got started.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Several hours later, we were in the large compound that was Bella's headquarters and we were all showed into rooms. I was in my now taking some things out of my bag.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable, Major. Something tells me you won't be in this room long," Peters' voice called out from behind me.

I turned around to see my brother grinning from ear to ear. I could feel the 'I told you so' coming off of him without my gift. He'd always said that Alice wasn't my mate and it seemed he was right. "Alright, get it over with, Peter, before I beat that grin off your face."

"Well, I've never been one to say I told you so…"

I gave him a 'yeah right' kind of look. Peter loved being right. The words 'I told you so' came out of his mouth as often as they could.

"Alright, fine, I love to say I told you so. And I did. I told you that little bitch wasn't your mate. Now I certainly never guessed it was Bella, but it makes sense now that I think about it. You two are perfect for each other. I couldn't help but draw parallels between the two of you in the past," Peter said.

"Yes, the similarities have not escaped me. She wasn't always like this though. Back in Forks, she was the epitome of innocent and naïve," I said.

"Yeah, well, no one can stay that way forever, especially in our world," Peter said.

I snorted. "Tell that to Edward." Edward certainly wasn't innocent, but there was no one more naïve than him. He acted like he was still living his sheltered little life in the 1900s. Of course it didn't help that Carlisle encouraged that.

Peter scowled. "Pansy ass little telepath. I was really hoping to burn his ass!"

"Tell me how you really feel," I said sarcastically. Peter seemed to have a real problem with Edward. It wasn't like before. The last time Peter had visited he had been irritated with Edward, but that was all it was. It was a far cry from wanting him dead.

"It's his fault, Major. This whole thing wouldn't have happened if not for him and the pixie," Peter said.

"I still don't know what did happen," I sad. I was itching to know what happened, especially now that I knew Bella was mine. I wanted to know what it was that caused her to change so much and to start a war that no one in their right mind would ever start.

"I can't tell you, Major," Peter said.

"I don't want you to tell me. I want her to," I said. I wanted the truth to come from Bella. I wanted to hear it all from her.

Soon I heard a knock on my door. I turned to see Emmett there. "Hey, Em."

"Hey, Jazz, can I talk to you for a minute?" Emmett asked sounding very serious.

"Uh, I'm sure there's something I gotta be doing," Peter said before walking out of the room.

"What's going on, Emmett. It's not often I see you this serious," I told him.

"I…I'm sorry," Emmett said.

"For what?" I asked. I failed to see what my brother had to apologize for. He had done nothing wrong.

"For grabbing you that night. I thought you were going to attack Bella after she cut her finger and I grabbed you. Maybe if I hadn't, you could've gotten to Bella before Edward pushed her," Emmett said with remorse and sadness in his voice.

"Or maybe I would've just been closer to her when everyone's lust got to me. It could've gone either way really. Maybe I would've gotten to her in time to pull her away and maybe I would've gotten there a second too late and taken a bite out of her," I said. I wasn't going to let Emmett blame himself for what happened. It wasn't his fault. He'd done what he did to protect Bella. I respected him for that. The only two people responsible for what happened that night were Edward and Alice.

"But even if you had, you would've stopped yourself. You never would've drained your mate. And if you had stopped yourself, none of the rest of it would've happened. Bella would've turned that night and whatever caused her to start this war wouldn't have happened," Emmett said. The guilt was coming off of him in waves.

"Emmett, stop. You did what you could to protect Bella. I can't fault you for that. True, things might have ended Better if you hadn't gotten involved, but we don't know that for sure. We don't know what would've happened if different choices were made. Things happened the way they happened. There's no going back from it. As far as I'm concerned, the person most responsible has been dealt with and the other will get his eventually. But neither of those people are you, so let it go," I practically ordered.

Emmett sighed and nodded his head. "Thanks, man."

"Well, if that's settled, I'm going to go find my mate. I think we have much to discuss," I said walked to the door and leaving the room.


End file.
